Reflex Beauty
}} The Reflex Beauty (レフレックス・ビューティ) is a Japanese 6×6 SLR made by Taiyōdō in the mid-1950s. See also the Beautyflex 6×6 TLR. The Reflex Beauty (I) The original model was released in 1954. It is recognized by the separate film advance and shutter winding, the silver nameplate and other details. Description The design of the Reflex Beauty was strongly influenced by the Reflex-Korelle, but it is not a dead-copy. The main body has a prismatic shape and the cubic mirror box protrudes at the front. On the original model, the film runs horizontally from right to left; it is advanced by a knob placed at the top left and containing a film reminder disc. The serial number is engraved on a small plate screwed to the top plate next to the advance knob. The back is hinged to the right and contains a red window in the middle, protected by a horizontally sliding cover, for manual control of the film advance. The leather is embossed TAIYŌDŌ KŌKI CO. under the red window. The focal-plane shutter has horizontally travelling curtains; it is wound by a lever at the top right and the speed is selected by a knob placed immediately to the left. The available speeds are B, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500. The release button and a cable release thread are attached to the right of the mirror box — as seen by the photographer. There is an accessory shoe and a sunken PC synch socket on the left, and there are strap lugs on each side. The tripod thread is placed under the mirror box and there are two film flanges under the bottom plate, allowing the camera to stand on a table. The nameplate is in front of the viewing hood; it is silver-coloured and engraved Reflex Beauty in cursive script on the original model. The center part of the hood is retractable, giving place to a sports finder, and has a shape reminding the Hasselblad viewing hoods. There is also a loupe hinged at the back of the hood. The mirror is moved upwards when the release button is tripped and only comes back when the shutter is wound again. The lens mount is the same screw thread as on the Reflex-Korelle. The standard lens is a TKK Canter 75mm f/3.5 in all-chrome finish, made by Taiyōdō — the initials TKK probably stand for Taiyōdō Kōki. It has a slightly knurled focusing ring with depth-of-field indications, and has an aperture ring at the front going from 3.5 to 22. Advertisements and other documents The Reflex Beauty was announced in many Japanese magazines in October 1954. , p.361. It was offered for in an advertisement in Asahi Camera dated the same month. Advertisement reproduced in , p.169. See also the advertisement published in Photo Art October 1954, reproduced on p.168 of the same book. This advertisement also mentions a 150mm lens as "under production" (製作中), presumably meaning "available soon". This lens has not been observed yet and it is not known if it was actually sold. The Reflex Beauty II The Reflex Beauty II was released in 1956. It was featured in various Japanese magazines throughout the year 1956 but no advertisement is known. , p.396. The model II has a secondary lens mount added around the original one, with a lever protruding at the bottom, probably a lens lock. The other main difference with the previous model is the coupling of the film advance to the shutter winding: both are operated by a black and chrome lever at the top right, slightly different from the lever of the original model. As a consequence, the film now runs from left to right and the advance knob has disappeared from the top left corner; the film reminder disc is directly mounted on the top plate. The model II presents other minor changes in the shape of the shutter release and in the black nameplate engraved Reflex Beauty in typewriter script. The standard lens of the Reflex Beauty II is the same as on the original model. The only other known lens is the TKK Canter 135mm f/4, a short tele lens using the secondary lens mount. Only two examples of this lens have been observed so far, with serial numbers in the 35xxx range. Lens no.35003 sold in this Photographica Auction and lens no.35135 sold in this Westlicht Auction. The lens no.35003 might be the third example produced. Total production The examples of the Reflex Beauty observed so far have a body number in the 11xxx or 12xxx range and a lens number in the 10xxx, 11xxx or 12xxx range. The serial number sequence probably began at 10000 and we can roughly estimate the total production at less than 3,000. Notes Bibliography * Items 744 and 1469. (See also the advertisement for item 738.) * no.219. Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * P.86 (brief mention only). * P.114. * Items 2068–9. Links In English: * Reflex Beauty II: lot no.666 of auction no.10 (November 18, 2006) by Westlicht In German: * Reflex Beauty II: lot no.42 of auction no.4 (November 11, 2006) by Rahn In Swedish: * Past auctions by LP Foto: ** Reflex Beauty (I): lot no.76 of auction no.26 (April 22, 2007). ** TKK Canter 75/3.5 lens for the Reflex Beauty: lot no.499 of auction no.16 (September 8, 2002). In Japanese: * Reflex Beauty (I) and II at Asacame * Japanese 6×6 SLR cameras at the Coolys Creek blog In Chinese: * Reflex Beauty (I) at www.ccc2000.net Category: Japanese 6x6 SLR Category: Beauty Category: R Beauty, Reflex